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Best Comic Book Covers Ever (This Month) – February 2012

A fantastic comic book cover has a lot of function to do. It is each an advertisement and a operate of art both a statement and an invitation. Often they convey character, at times mood, at times moment. At times they pastiche the classics or shell out tribute to the past often they strive to show us something entirely new. Often they show us a glimpse of somewhere else through a canvas no bigger than a window pane. In Very best Comic Book Covers Ever (This Month), we look back above some of the most eye-catching, unique and excellent addresses of the month that was.

As we’re just coming to the end of our particular sexy time right here at ComicsAlliance – two weeks of coverage devoted to depictions of sex and sexuality in comics – I want to start off with a rapid seem at some of February’s far more noteworthy pin-up and T&ampA addresses.

Lady Death #14 (Boundless) cover by Michael DiPascale

I know we right here at ComicsAlliance detest photos of gorgeous half-naked girls, or so we’re usually becoming told by skittish youthful bucks who have not read our content articles very closely, but I think this is a terrific cover that makes excellent use of the character’s stark white skin — however it is unusually tasteful for Lady Death and the character’s proportions are atypically realistic, so of course I would single this 1 out for praise, awful effete European liberal that I am. This is dubbed the “Art Deco” variant, but it is truly Art Nouveau, and it really is less of a misnomer than Juan Jose Ryp’s “Sultry” variant, which appears much more like an “uncomfortable abdomen cramps” variant to me.

Avengers Solo #5 (Marvel) cover by John Tyler Christopher

I would argue that this is really a much better example of “sultry,” however I don’t assume anybody has ever utilised the word to describe Hawkeye just before. This is an unusually coquettish pose for a male superhero, and it would even count as a booty shot if that damnable tea-towel weren’t finding in the way (though you will discover we can only see his posterior and not, by some miracle of spinal realignment, his chest as properly). This cover invites the reader to appear at Hawkeye by means of the eyes of a gunman, to see him as prey, and as a outcome John Tyler Christopher has provided us a sly, teasing, and yes, rather sultry version of the character.

Vampirella #14 (Dynamite) cover by Paul Renaud

There are two versions of this cover, but the other is in complete colour, although this is the “blood red” variant. The lowered palette helps make this a lot far more interesting to my eye it produces shapes and contrasts that you aren’t evident in the total color edition, all the better to complement the yin-yang theme. The blood red variant also feels significantly less salacious, probably simply because it enables the reader to search past the quantity of skin on display.

Glamourpuss #23 (Aardvark-Vanaheim) cover by Dave Sim

This is a great drawing rather than a fantastic cover, but I include it here just to note that Dave Sim — not recognized as comics’ foremost feminist — is fairly damn excellent at drawing gorgeous girls in a non-exploitative way. Positive, Glamourpuss speaks the language of fashion magazines, which have their very own unachievable beauty standards, and there’s normally one thing vapid and hollow in the eyes of Sim’s ladies, but doesn’t this vision of glamor seem to be old-school and respectful compared to some of the T&ampA operate developed by artist who have presumably never ever referred to a girl as a “void?”

Cover Girls (Image) cover by Guillem March

On the topic of pin-ups, a single might believe that Guillem March is public enemy quantity 1 for his function as artist on the a lot derided relaunch of Catwoman, but no-a single must blame March for being employed to do what he’s good at. As this vibrant, loud and proud pop cover to March’s art book exhibits, he’s an superb pin-up artist it was DC’s decision to pursue a pin-up strategy that was in query.

Adequate with the attractive! Let’s seem at some of the other excellent covers this month.

Important of Z TPB (Boom) cover by Nathan Fox

It’s a shame Key of Z ended the first month this column started, as this trade collection is possible to be my last likelihood to talk about it right here. The covers for the series had power and edge, with raw lively colors and a touch of wit. This trade cover is not standard of the fashion of the series, but it has the same punk aesthetic and appears quickly iconic. I see Nathan Fox as element of an emerging wave of artists embracing a Paul Pope aesthetic with dissonant color schemes and ugly-lovely composition.

Orc Stain #seven (Picture) cover by James Stokoe

And if Nathan Fox is 1 portion of a trend, I would determine Orc Stain’s James Stokoe as a vanguard artists of this punk-art motion. I confess, the a lot more I use the word “punk” the much more tweedy I really feel. If I weren’t feeling so self-aware about it I would coin a term like “revulsion chic” to put a label on the total issue. But that’s not me. Suffice to say, number of are as good as Stokoe at generating the thoughts revolt in horror at his selections – such as a bloodied pastel rabbit warrior on a throne of intestines – and then come back fascinated for more.

Uncanny X-Force #19 (Mavel) cover by Rafael Grampa

This Rafael Grampa cover (and a number of other covers for this series) brings that very same revulsion chic aesthetic to the mainstream. The bold coloring is off-center in a wonderfully eye-gouging way the figures are gnarled, nearly awkward, and fully unglamorous. In notion this cover is nearly a formula Art Adams team shot at three generations removed, but in execution it really is superbly unconventional.

X-Element #232 (Marvel) cover by David Yardin

By contrast, this is not a cover that I’d spot in the identical aesthetic, although it uses a similar palette. In this instance the colours evoke ’60s psychedelia, the native soil of Marvel’s Dr Unusual stable of magical characters. I love how one spiral achieves numerous effects on Madrox’s face it suggests the torture of insanity on the villain’s cape and the blue flames it creates motion and texture and in the background it establishes reality in turmoil.

This is the fourth cover in a row to use yellow and purple, but here it is a extremely various search the colours subvert the classical simplicity of the picture. (The 2nd volume cover is in similarly dissonant orange and blue colour scheme.) Mendelsund constantly finds one thing exclusive to say with his Tezuka reprints at Vertical.

Xombi TPB (DC Vertigo) cover by Brendan McCarthy

One particular much more purple cover, just for the hell of it. You may have noticed this cover before on issue a single of the series, but I wasn’t undertaking this column back then, and it deserves a mention now it is a sumptuous multi-textured execution of a sturdy, straightforward picture.

Dark Horse Presents #8 (Dark Horse) cover by Kristian Donaldson

There are two addresses for this book this is the alternate, and the primary is by Duncan Fegredo. It tells you how a lot I like this a single that I am passing over a Fegredo. What’s fantastic about Donaldson’s cover is that you can quickly inform it’s for a Brian Wood comic. That is effective visual branding.

Spaceman #4 (DC Vertigo) cover by Dave Johnson

Dave Johnson getting brilliant as often. You would by no means error this for a 100 Bullets cover, would you? Identical imaginative team exact same cover artist totally distinct look.

Valen the Outcast #3 (Boom) cover by Matteo Scalera

If you want to be in with a pretty great shot at making my Finest Addresses Ever list, I strongly propose doing a black and white cover with a splash of red, since it may be an old, old trick, but it even now works for me. Comic covers are not large spaces simplicity is usually an asset.

Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes #4 (Boom) cover by Declan Shalvey

Once again, straightforward colors to produce an quick and arresting effect. The composition is a small off because I can’t inform if those apes are tumbling into a pit or charging into a battle, but I applaud any cover that is brave sufficient to use this a lot white room.

Bionic Guy #7 (Dynamite) cover by Alex Ross

A composition masterclass! Why does Alex Ross do so numerous superheroes-posing-in-pyjamas covers when a cover like this helps make a lot greater use of his skills? This is excellent not only since it tells a story in just a single panel, but simply because of how it breaks up the web page with the two a pyramid to lead the eye and a 50/50 split amongst two juxtaposed halves: the man in agony in warmer colours the woman cold and collected in icy blues. It really is so great that Alex Toth may well not completely hate it!

A flashback story demands a flashback cover, of course, and this is an admirable recreation of Gene Colan’s cover for Tomb of Dracula #ten, the first physical appearance of Blade.

Doctor Who #14 (IDW) cover by Matthew Dow Smith

Television adaptation comics frequently consider so challenging to create a likeness of their actors that everyone ends up seeking like they’ve been skinned and stuffed by Chuck Testa. Significantly far better to suggest a likeness with a less complicated line. This cover takes that concept to extremes with a posterised eleventh doctor, but with the fez, the bow tie and the muppet mouth, you certainly know it really is him. Just a shame they had to ruin it with that logo.

GI Joe #ten, Snake Eyes #10, Cobra #10 (IDW) covers by Tom Whalen

Speaking of simplicity, I adore how Whalen evokes the boldness of old propaganda posters with these addresses. The main picture is GI Joe #ten the line on the left exhibits the 3 addresses linked collectively. This is not the kind of cover I assume to see on a GI Joe book, but I welcome the adjust of tone.

This does not belong in this column at all, simply because (a) this is the centre of the cover, not the whole cover, and (b), this is from Disney’s collection of the prose adventures of John Carter, and as a result has nothing at all to do with comics. But if they will insist on soliciting prose collections with all the comics and this is what catches my eye, am I truly to blame? I enjoy all 3 of the Disney John Carter addresses, but this one is my favourite, complete of strong, attractive shapes.

It really is challenging to come up with new ways to praise Mignola’s use of shadow when absolutely everyone understands how very good he is. This variant cover for The Prolonged Death is normal of his present for producing a rich world with the simplest lines.

Unwritten #34.5 (DC Vertigo) cover by Yuko Shimizu

Yuko Shimizu has the finest “amazing cover” hit price on a Vertigo book because James Jean onFables, and I never assume she gets virtually adequate recognition for it. Medieval illumination looks to be a typical touchstone for her work on this series, which can make excellent thematic sense. It’s utilised to notably powerful impact in this evocation of the Angel of the Somme. Folks must be talking more about how excellent Yuko Shimizu is.